


they will not control us (we will be victorious)

by Khalomot



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, F/M, M/M, Multi, also please excuse the blatant self indulgence of my ot3 bc they need more love, and a therapist, assassin!Kuroko, hes also an emperor so that's awful, kuroko needs a hug, more pairings to come later - Freeform, rebel!seirin, the gom are literal princes and akashi is a terrible human being
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-08-06
Packaged: 2018-07-19 03:50:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7343635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khalomot/pseuds/Khalomot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The kingdom of Teikou has split into five parts, ruled by a cruel emperor and twisted princes. A rebel group, Seirin, attempts to fight back, and all seems to be going well with the addition of two strong fighters and a recovered heart. But when a blue-haired man stumbles into the insurgents' camp, what change will he bring to the fight against the empire?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Before the division of the country, there was a large and powerful land, known as Teikou. The empire was ruled with an iron fist, and the hierarchy began with the emperor, split down into those ruling the provinces, and so on until one reached the bottom, with the peasantry.  

The sons of the five kings ruling the provinces eventually reached the age where they would start to take command, with the emperor's heir joining them. Strong and promising men, they were known as the Generation of Miracles. Yet upon their ascendancy, the young ruler declared something unthinkable – the destruction of the nation called Teikou. Riots broke out. The new government members were on the front lines, cutting down rebels and traitors alike, and once all was settled, six new lands appeared. Rakuzan, ruled by the former emperor's heir – for mysteriously, the man had disappeared during the battle – became the most powerful kingdom. Its capital, named Teikou for the land that once was, had become a cultural center for all five principalities – Touou, Kaijou, Yosen and Shuutoku – and was a place of learning. The five sons ruled over the principalities, with some on the sidelines and others the front.  

But the system was flawed. The young men had a taste of battle, and wanted more. Their oaths to protect the people of their princedom were forgotten, and they grew twisted, forgetting the camaraderie they shared. They were cruel, and most passed off their ruling to the rest of their government, instead waging war upon the people they once called friends and abandoning all they once stood for. Many disagreed with these policies, but none openly expressed their views for fear of punishment. 

Yet, upon their twentieth year, five young men and one woman took a stand. 

The five were the founders of the rebel group known as Seirin, aiming to abolish the brutal regimes and replace them with something better. Through the years, they had attracted attention for their deeds, ranging from those of ordinary citizens to law enforcement. Reception was positive amongst the lower classes – farmers speaking of the kindness of the young woman, helping them maximize their profit to ensure they had enough money to feed their families; innocent men recalling the strongest two rebels defending them from unfair punishment from constables; two clever commentators during public dissent to calm the crowd and drive their objectives toward a greater goal; and, of course, the man who led it all. 

However, the reaction from those in governmental positions was less than pleased. The rebels were nuisances, turning villages against the rulers and causing trouble all over the kingdoms. Somehow, they were unable to be shut down – but they could be crippled. One province leader made sure that the heart of the team would never be able to walk properly again. This made the leader, already fueled by his quest for equality, incorporate rage and vengeance into the mix. It took a year before the injured man could return to a regular gait, and even then, a specially constructed brace was made for Seirin's heart. 

But during the year the heart was out of commission, two men joined the already growing group. They were from the Badlands, they said, and wanted to help. Brothers not by blood but by heart, both were excellent fighters, especially the younger. The redhead gained a growing reputation, not only for his combat skills, but also for his temper and hotheadedness. Much to his irritation, the leader found that he was disciplining the younger man far more than he'd like. Nevertheless, both were incorporated into Seirin, and became valuable members of the fighting team. 

 

Until a fateful night, when a man and a dog staggered into camp, both bleeding heavily, and collapsed right in front of Kagami Taiga and Hyuuga Junpei's eyes. 

* * *

 

Blue eyes fluttered open. _Observe your surroundings, Tetsuya,_ a smooth voice says inside his head. _Where are you?_  

 _An unfamiliar ceiling. Hard bed, most likely stolen. Metal railings. I am bandaged heavily, but I can breathe. My ribs are healing_ _._ _Nigou_ _is not with me._ _I have... I escaped._  

 _From what?_ the voice asks. 

 _From the bandits harassing me, who were then eaten by the Forest Creatures, who begun to harass me as well. And from law enforcement. And my... employers._  

 _Hmm,_ the voice says. _I'm not sure_ he _would approve of that response._  

He _can suck it,_ another voice chimes in. Deeper, rougher, yet more comforting for reasons he is unwilling to consider. _Stop listening to us, anyways. You got out, remember? Focus on this place,_ _Tetsu_ _. You're gonna be okay. Just start figuring out where you are, who you're with, and where_ _Nigou_ _is. Try walking._  

Tetsuya tries walking, and fails miserably.  

" - gami, what did I tell you about watching over our guest?" Tetsuya, from his embarrassing position on the floor, stares up at the two figures in the doorway. The yellower luminance contrasts with the soft moonlight streaming in through the window – something he didn't notice. How humiliating. He'll need to brush up on his observation skills. "Oh, dammit. Can you get up?" 

"Probably not," Tetsuya says, and is surprised by how rough his voice is. "If you wouldn't mind helping me up, you could most likely have an easier time getting the information you need out of me." 

"Who says we need anything out of you, huh?" The redhead says loudly.  

"Kagami Taiga-san, please. There would have been no reason for you to save me unless you thought I had some value." 

"You know my name?" 

"Of course he does, idiot," The woman says, and Tetsuya's eyes widen as he recognizes the brunette as one of the founders of Seirin. "Look, we're not heartless. We took care of you because you were bleeding and injured. Sure, it'd be great if you had information to give us on how to benefit our cause, but honestly, that's not why. Though if you disclose our location after leaving, we will have to kill you." 

"That won't be necessary, Onna-san." Tetsuya decides not to mention that he knows the name of every single person in the location of Seirin. He'd like to allow Aida Riko the - 

"Stop it. I know you know my name." She sends him a condescending glare. He stares back impassively. "I know it's been leaked. Anyways, don't stand around, Kagami. Help the man up." 

"Right. Uh." Kagami crouches, extends a tanned and muscular arm, and the blue-haired man's pale and bandaged fingers close around his bicep. _You look like_ _Shintarou_ _._  

 _"Go away,"_ Tetsuya hisses. _"I don't need you anymore, I never needed you - "_  

 _Oh, Tetsuya,_ the voice replies, sickeningly sweet. _N_ _ever forget who made you what you are. Never forget who saw your true potential. You are ours, Tetsuya, you are_ mine _and that will never change._  

"Stop it," Tetsuya whispers, lifting his hands to his head. "I left for a reason, and you cannot touch me. So leave me alone, Seijuurou. You don't have any say in my life anymore, none of you, so remove your presence and admit for once in your life that _you lost!"_  

"… uh," Kagami says eloquently, and the full blast of what Tetsuya has done in the presence of perfect strangers makes him lose what little control he had of his facial features and he can feel the blush rising to his cheeks. 

"I'm so sorry. I lost control for a moment there. My... employers," And he pauses, to see if Seijuurou's voice comes back, and fireworks of elation burst in his head, because he is _free._ "They were – rather, a select few were – rather manipulative in terms of my thought process. I tend to often... _hear_ them. But now I believe that I have rid myself of their voices," He adds quickly, because Aida is staring at him like he's gone insane and Kagami isn't any better. To be fair, Tetsuya probably has, but he's better at hiding it than people like Seijuurou or Daiki. 

"Right, um. Kagami, help the man up again, please, and we can talk to Junpei and Teppei about it. By the way, you slipped into another language when you were talking to the voices. What were you speaking in?" 

Did he really lose that much control? Tetsuya thinks over his response while he makes a controlled effort to stumble in a straight line with the aid of his two rebel companions. The stone hallway, lit by torches, seems endless. How much is he ready to reveal? "It was a language my employers spoke. I, too, learned it from birth, to better serve them." 

"Hmm. By the way, what's your name?" Oh, she is good. A casual question, disguised as something innocent, when in reality, his name says everything about him. Which to give her? His first or last? 

"Kuroko," Tetsuya tells her. Surely she is too young to know his -  

"As in the emperor's right hand Kuroko? Surely not. Give us a true name, stranger." Aida snorts, and Tetsuya makes a mental reminder to not ever underestimate the tiny woman again. 

"I have to apologize, Aida-san. My full name is – oh." Stairs. Tetsuya doesn't know if he can do stairs. 

"For fuck's sake," Kagami mutters, and full-on lifts the smaller man into a bridal carry. _Be impassive, be impassive, BE IMPASSIVE -_  

He can't help it. He laughs at the absurdity of the situation. Here he is, Tetsuya Kuroko, shadow child and imperial assassin, being carried by the same rebel that he once would've fought so hard to defeat. Oha Asa certainly never could've predicted this. 

"I'm not quite sure why you're laughing, Kuroko, but I'd like to hear your full answer." 

"I'm sorry, Aida-san. My full name is Kuroko Tetsuya, son of the former emperor's right hand and a foreign whore." 

"So you grew up in the court," Aida murmurs, pushing open a set of doors. They leave the corridor, yellow light turning silver, and Tetsuya's reflexes kick in. _I'm in a clearing. I've been here before, when I was badly injured._ _Nigou_ _is not with me. There are heavy lines of trees surrounding this area that I was able to penetrate. In the center, there is a campfire, with Kiyoshi_ _Teppei_ _and_ _Hyuuga_ _Junpei_ _talking by it._ _Mitobe_ _Rinnosuke_ _and_ _Koganei_ _Shinji are sitting on a log near it, eating something. The moon shines bright. I cannot identify the other men._  

No response from Seijuurou. Clearly he did something right.  

"Alright, I'm gonna let you down right by Hyuuga-san." And Kagami does so, sliding him onto the ground and placing a gentle but firm hand on his shoulder until Tetsuya slips onto the log, across from the leader of the rebel force disrupting the country for the past two years. 

"You've been asleep for about five days," Hyuuga says, spectacles flashing in the fire's light. Tetsuya stiffens. Five days? 

Comfort arrives in the form of a black and white dog's bark, with a furry form climbing up his body and onto his head. Nigou. What is the most interesting part of this reunion, however, is the way Kagami shrinks back and emits a high-pitched squeal of terror. 

"The man feared across all of Seijuurou's empire, afraid of a tiny dog," Tetsuya mutters, and the redhead's face turns the same color as his hair. 

"I'm – I'm not afraid of a damn dog, damn it! I was just startled!" 

Hyuuga and Aida are laughing, and Mitobe and Koganei have noticed and have joined in. "He does this every time," The sole woman says, wiping a tear from her eye. "You should've seen him the first time. He almost fell in the fire." 

 _"Coach!"_ Kagami says, and Tetsuya lets himself smile a little. 

Hyuuga's gaze returns to Tetsuya. "You just said Seijuurou's empire. I'm assuming you're referring to Akashi Seijuurou, the emperor of this nation. You're on a first-name basis with the most powerful man on this side of the globe." 

Damn it. Tetsuya has to tell them everything now. 

"Hyuuga-san. Aida-san. Kagami-san. I have a few confessions to make." Mitobe and Koganei have crowded around the area where they sit, and Kiyoshi, having moved to talk to the unknown men, returns with them in tow. 

"Damn straight you do," Kagami mutters, still shaken by his encounter with Nigou. 

 

Tetsuya inhales, and exhales. _There is nobody stopping you now._  

 

"First off, please understand that all the information I am about to reveal to you is in the interest of helping Seirin take down the Generation of Miracles. Second of all, the first thing I will tell you is that my name is Kuroko Tetsuya, son of a whore and the second-highest official in the old government. The second thing is that I grew up with the princes and the emperor, allowed to live solely for the purpose of observing and, eventually, serving them. I am a shadow. I am – _was –_ their shadow. I am -" 

"The Phantom," Aida says, staring into his eyes. "The man who was the sixth member, a myth. The man who was the imperial assassin, who became a bedtime story to scare children. The man," Her words halt, gaze intensifying. The only noise is the crackling of the fire against wood. "The man who is supposed to be dead. Why do you want to help us, when you could easily return to Rakuzan?" 

 

Wind rustles in the trees. Tetsuya's eyes close, and his lips open, ready to tell his story. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> we've got some backstory up in this place folks

"As you know, I am the son of a foreign whore, in a land conquered by Sei – _Akashi-sama's_ father. My father had her killed directly after my birth, and was prepared to kill me too, until the widow of a minister offered to take me in as her own son. The only condition was that I would keep his last name. I think she thought it would remind me of my heritage. It only brought grief, but I admire and appreciate her effort.

"My mother – for she is the only mother I have ever known – raised me to become a member of society, but not a traditional one. Very early on, she noticed that I could go for long periods of time while being unnoticed. It would take many years before someone taught me to take advantage of that. Because of this ability, she allowed me to slip into the lessons of the noisiest princes, because they would never notice me. And so I learned the language of the court, how to do arithmetic, how to write, read, and everything I never would've been taught otherwise.

"But I was caught, eventually. I started to engage in war practice. I wasn't very good. I had little stamina, no formal training like the princes or knights, and could only use swords in abandoned courtyards. Again, it was a very long time until someone introduced me to the concept of daggers, but I digress. My friend at the time – a peasant boy turned squire – was the one who encouraged me, and we'd practice together. No matter how much we sparred, I was terrible. But it was fun, and to us, that was all that mattered. One night, the future king of Touou, Daiki of the Aomine clan, was sent by his childhood friend to investigate the claim of a ghost haunting the courtyard. He found me, but not after looking for almost half an hour." Tetsuya allowed himself to smile a little bit at his old friend's (was that really how Daiki – _Aomine-sama –_ was to him?) reaction, and continued.

"Aomine-sama taught me how to fight, properly. Or, at least, he tried. Until Akashi-sama found me. He noticed how little presence I had – Aida-san, I'm surprised you even saw me on the floor – and encouraged me to work with it, if I wanted to be able to fight properly. In the beginning, my attempts at fighting in a group were even more pathetic than my solo practice. However, I eventually began to delve into other matters. Akashi-sama gave permission to my mother so that I could have access to the royal library, where I learned about misdirection. Fooling people's lines of sight. With the slight advice of Akashi-sama, I grew into the role of the sixth member of the team. Invisible, supporting from the inside. And so I became the Phantom."

The firelight flickers all around. Tetsuya is in shadow once more.

"What happened to your friend?" Asks Izuki.

Tetsuya's eyes drift to the star-dotted sky. He can see the galaxy from here, away from the smoke and machinery that is Shuutoku, the grime that dots Touou and Yosen's streets, the fog always over Kaijou, and Rakuzan's eternal cloudy sky – sometimes, Tetsuya wonders if it was Akashi's decision, and if he controls the weather. He would not be surprised.

"Ogiwara-kun... he was the first person, truly, to interest me in fighting for my country. He aspired to be a knight in the high court, or at least be in the military. Together, we practiced swordsmanship and the like until I encountered Aomine-sama. Akashi-sama found out one day, about Ogiwara-kun's dreams, and orchestrated a humiliating defeat in a sparring match. He lost all passion for his goal, and dropped from the training program. This was right before the war, when we fell apart.

"All the princes cared about was victory. They were so strong – too strong. Winning was as natural as breathing, especially to Akashi-sama. I was trained to believe that, until incidents similar to Ogiwara-kun's began to change my conditioning, little by little. A few days before battle broke out, I attempted to remind them of the vows they had taken at a young age, what they were supposed to stand for. They did not listen. So, when I finally received the chance, I escaped."

"How'd you do it?" Koganei asks. "They're all really smart, aren't they? N-Not to imply that you aren't!"

"It's fine, Koganei-san. As you know, the war stretched on for a while after the split became official. After leaving for a mission, I took the body of one of the last rebels, burned his face and back and hands so they could not tell it was not me, dressed him in my clothes, and fled to the Outskirts. I lived there, in solitude, hoping desperately for a rebellion of some sort. My only companion was Nigou, the runt of the litter of a nest of Forest Creatures." Tetsuya's eyes soften when he looks at the creature now in his lap.

"I did not expect them to believe the ruse, but I also knew that they would not come after me. After all, I may have been the princes' shadow, and while the title of Imperial Assassin is not easily gained, it is uncommon for it to be reserved for one person. I was replaceable. And..." Tetsuya clenches his fists. "My absence was the reminder of their single loss. In the end, I left, and they could do nothing about it.

"Then, in my second year, I caught word of Seirin. Finally, someone willing to take a stand, without giving up hope while fighting against my former companions. So I tracked you down. You were very hard to find. Being in such a secluded area of the Forest was a wise decision. Not many dare come here. I got very lucky to even have an idea of your base's location."

"So you want to help us?" Kiyoshi says, reaffirming his earlier statement.

"Yes," Tetsuya says, looking directly into Hyuuga's eyes. "They must truly know defeat."

"How can we trust you?" He replies.

"You cannot. But I would like it if you did."

The glade is silent again, as everyone drifts into their own thoughts. Once more, the silence is broken by Koganei. "I, uh, was one of the people dressing your wounds. When I was doing that, I saw a lot of scars, and they looked pretty old. Were those from all of your missions?"

Tetsuya stiffens. The air changes.

"… No," The blue-haired man admits. "Most of those came from Akashi-sama, on the one of two times I failed my mission."

"Failed your mission?"

"My target was my mother," He whispers. "She was part of the first underground rebellion. I could not do it. I let her escape. Akashi-sama was not pleased. I was confined to the dungeons for weeks, months – time blurred together. If you do not mind, I would not like to talk about my experiences down there."

_Tetsuya, he says. Do you understand now why you cannot fail like this?_

_I understand, Seijuurou-sama, he breathes, choking on his own words. Atsushi stands in the corner, wordless. Shintarou is turned away. There is something dripping down his thigh, and he does not know what it is. Tetsuya no longer cares. He doesn't feel anything, anymore. He went numb a long time ago. Something in him registers the pain, but all his strength is focused on staying awake with his arms chained high behind him and legs tied to two posts. Seijuurou will not be happy if he passes out now._

_Good, Seijuurou says, and Tetsuya's chin hangs down. Look at me, Tetsuya. Tetsuya does not look – he cannot. Something strikes him across the face, and he coughs out blood. That hurt. Summoning up the last of his strength, he stares into gold and red eyes. They are cold, but soften as a ringed hand strokes his jaw. Now, Seijuurou says, and Tetsuya turns into the warmth in this frigid room. That wasn't too hard, was it?_

_No, Seijuurou-sama._

_You do know why I'm doing this, don't you?_

_Yes, Seijuurou-sama._

_Why am I being forced to hurt you like this, Tetsuya?_

_I... I failed, Seijuurou-sama. I could not complete the mission. I lost my target._

_Are you going to do this again, Tetsuya?_

_No, Seijuurou-sama._

_I'm glad. I don't like punishing someone as important as you. I take care of what is mine, Tetsuya, but if someone strays out of line, I have to put them back in place. You understand that. I know you do._

_Yes, Seijuurou-sama._

_Shintarou, unchain him, Seijuurou commands. The green-haired man walks over, and taped hands deftly undo his bindings. Tetsuya collapses, and wonders if he will die here._

_Seijuurou strokes his hair, combing out the clumps that dirty fine blue locks. Atsushi will leave the gate unlocked for you, he informs the teen on the floor. You can leave whenever you have the ability to get out. And Tetsuya? Don't stay like that. It's not good for your health to breathe in your own blood._

When the brunet sees the glassy look in the blue-haired man's eyes, he knows he's crossed a line. "I'm sorry for asking. I shouldn't have."

"It is fine, Koganei-san. All I request is that you do not do so in the future." Tetsuya's hands twist in his lap, balling up in Nigou's fur. He is very tired, he realizes. But it is fine. He can function on very little sleep.

However, Aida sees right through him. "Go to bed, Kuroko. I can see you’re about to drop already. The fact that you've been awake for such a long time after barely recovering from those wounds is impressive in its own right. Teppei, can you help him to his bed?"

"Sure," Kiyoshi says amiably, and gently hoists Tetsuya to his feet. As the tall man guides him back down to the bunker, the blue-haired ex-assassin notices that the brunet is less like Kagami in that he still expects Tetsuya to walk – instead, he just holds him where he needs support and lets him build strength by trying to stay on his feet.

"Thank you," Tetsuya murmurs.

"No problem," He replies cheerfully. "I'm sure you know about my leg issues. This is something kind of like that. If you want, I could talk to Riko about the training regime I used. Obviously, she'd have to switch it up, but I think it'd be best if we got you back in top shape as soon as possible, you know?"

Tetsuya voices his assent, and before he knows it they are back in his room. Kiyoshi eases him into bed carefully, and Nigou, who had been trotting after them, leaps into the cot and settles on his chest. It hurts his ribs a little, but that's alright. He's had worse.

"Goodnight, Kuroko. Do not be afraid to call for us if you need anything."

"Thank you, Kiyoshi-san. Goodnight to you as well."

* * *

 

"He found our camp," Himuro says, fire reflected in his eyes. "We should move."

"I think we're fine," Kiyoshi replies, having emerged from the base. "Remember that this man is trained in infiltration, stealth, and techniques purposefully used for gathering information on his targets. Kuroko said we were hard to find, and this is coming from the man who once held the title of Imperial Assassin."

"I have to agree with Teppei," Aida adds, looking away from her conversation with Hyuuga. “It’s not great that we’ve been discovered, but nobody unfriendly has found us by this time. I think the real issue here is whether we can trust Kuroko or not.”

“If I’m being honest, I think we can at least begin to place our trust in him. If Kuroko wanted to, he could be living the high life in Rakuzan, despite what he said about the princes. Instead, he’s been hiding in the Outskirts, dealing with the voices in his head while looking for somebody to stand up to our rulers. Assuming he’s not deceiving us in regard to his story, he could prove a valuable asset. To get him on our side, extending a friendly hand is probably the best option.”

The group is silent for a while, save the crackling of wood burning in the fire pit.

“Alright,” Himuro relents. “I’m not too certain about it, but as long as he doesn’t do anything suspicious, I’m _on board.”_

 _“On board?”_ Kiyoshi repeats in a confused tone.

“It’s a Badlands euphemism.” After the black-haired man’s statement, Aida stands, plants her hands on her hips, and sweeps her gaze over the men surrounding her.

“Alright. We’re going to start working Kuroko into our camp. That means being friendly to him –” She directs a pointed glance at Himuro “– and teaching him the ropes, which includes giving him tasks, explaining peoples’ places in the workforce, and showing him how things are run around here. I expect him to be treated with basic human decency. We don’t all come from the best backgrounds, and you would all do well to remember that. Am I clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hyuuga sighs, and rises with the rest to walk back to the complex.

Over the course of the next few months, Tetsuya is slowly welcomed into the Seirin forces. The night after his introduction, Hyuuga informs him that once he is sent out on official missions, he will be working with Kagami, but up until that point, he should be focused on integrating as smoothly as possible. Tetsuya agrees, and sets his mind to being a productive member of Seirin while also diverting his energy to recovering. Aida even makes him a schedule, much like Akashi used to during his training days.

 _Don’t think about that,_ Tetsuya scolds himself while stretching. _No matter what it was like in the beginning, those days are behind you. Focus on who is with you now. They are the people who matter the most._

And so, the blue-haired man spends his day rehabilitating old structures with Izuki, listening on Hyuuga and Aida’s strategic meetings, hunting with Himuro, working odd jobs with the rest of the crew, and doing physical therapy with Kiyoshi at night. Every other day, Tetsuya trains with Kagami – learns how he fights, how he thinks, how he eats and drinks and moves and _lives._ In return, Tetsuya offers all of himself – not a new concept for him, but one that is slightly uncomfortable to perform. Despite the fact that he is an outsider, Seirin treats him kindly. Himuro is slightly distrustful, which is perfectly logical to Tetsuya, but the rest are fair and seem to have faith in the idea that he will not betray them.

 

It feels nice, this sensation. Being trusted within a group of incredible people.

 

When he shows Kagami a small smile, about four months into his integration, the redhead blushes the same color as his hair and has trouble speaking for the rest of the day. It’s quite endearing.

 

* * *

 

 

“We need medical supplies,” Aida announces one day. “Kagami, Kuroko. We are volunteering you to do the job.”

 _“Coach,”_ Kagami says. “I would’ve done it anyways!”

“I know,” She replies smugly. “I wanted to see the look on your face. Okay, Kagami, I trust that you know how to get to the nearest town.”

“Of course I do.”

“Great, because your actual stop is three days north.”

“What,” Says Kagami.

“Yep! You’re heading to Kaijou. They’ve got top notch products there, and that’s what we need. Kuroko, I’ll give you the money, since Bakagami here has had some _fascinating_ experiences involving carrying payment.”

“The goat wasn’t supposed to be there! Just ask Izuki!” The redhead cries, and Tetsuya makes a mental note to ask Kagami about the story. “And besides, is it okay for us to go to Kaijou? Since Kuroko might still be wanted there?”

“I highly doubt that my disappearance would be the most pressing issue on Midorima-sama’s mind, but it is still something to be aware of. My concern is with the border guards. Kaijou's defense, while not their strongest point, is considerable enough to make me a little worried. Also, there are two of us and a good number of them on a bad day. We’ll need to time our entry into the principality carefully.”

“We’re still stronger fighters, though,” Kagami says.

“Perhaps. Still, I would prefer to avoid an unnecessary confrontation, especially since all we are doing is crossing a boundary. Aida-san, would you please give me the names of the supplies we need? I am quite familiar with the contents of an apothecary.”

Aida lists what Seirin wants, and Tetsuya commits it to memory. He and his partner – his _partner_ , he thinks happily – walk back to the complex, and Kagami grabs the heavy items to pack while the blue-haired man scampers to and fro, taking their smaller vitalities.

“… bandages, herbs, food, water…” Tetsuya looks to Kagami, excitement visible in his eyes. “I think we’re ready, Kagami-kun.”

The taller man says nothing about the new honorific – instead, he ruffles the ex-assassin’s hair, much to his chagrin.

Seirin wishes them luck as they exit the glade, crew waving and calling out encouragements.

“Are they always this vocal about sendoffs?” Tetsuya murmurs, glancing back one more time.

“Yeah. Little embarrassing.” A hint of affection colors Kagami’s voice, despite his gruff words, and Tetsuya allows himself a little smile.

Their journey is mostly quiet, and Tetsuya takes the time to admire the nature around him. The birds sing in the air, the leaves crunch under their feet, and the smell of deadly yet beautiful flowers scents the air. The gentle rush of the stream next to them soothes his thoughts, but the silence he is normally so comfortable in becomes to feel stifling. The blazing sun shines hot upon them. Suddenly, the distraction of everything around him becomes irrelevant.

“Tell me about the Badlands,” Tetsuya blurts out, and Kagami shoots him a surprised look. “Please.”

“… alright,” He replies, slowly, and pauses at the top of a rock spire to give Tetsuya time to catch up. “The Badlands, huh? Well, it’s not great, but it’s home, y’know? But there’s some screwed-up shit out there. D’ya know why they call it the Badlands?”

“I do know that the government was experimenting with a weapon and it backfired horribly, causing the entire nation to break down.”

“Close enough. Government scientists were researching something. Had a lot of it, whatever it was. Spaced it all out among the states so people couldn’t get to the stuff easily. That was all fine and dandy, until some insurgent fucker decided to hack the control system and make them systematically explode – _all_ of them. I was seventy miles from the nearest deposit and I still felt the shockwave. Thank god my mentor had a safe house underground – she used to be on the research team, so she knew her shit.

“Me and Tatsuya hung out there with her, while she focused on getting us ready for the outside. Took us two and a half years to leave the place, and we still couldn’t go within miles of the blast zones. The world was completely different, and so were the people. It was always dry and the sun never shone. If you found Disinfected water, you found a miracle. I was the tannest person I knew, save a couple of the Darkcon kids I met along the way. Apparently, we had missed the worst of the anarchy and rebellions. Now, as long as you didn’t fuck with the wrong people, you’d be alright. The culture change was really the weirdest part for me – Tatsuya had to do all the smooth-talking for us so we could scrape by. I fought for money, and explored closer to the blast zones than anybody else did. Might be why my legs are so weird. Hell, a couple times Tatsuya even whored himself out when we were running low on cash. No slut-shaming after the apocalypse.

“If you were smart, you found your group of people and stuck with them. It meant more food and more supplies were needed, sure, but it also ensured your protection. A lot of lone wolves got picked on, and Tatsuya was intelligent enough to make the decision. In my old city, we met some kids our age, and stuck with ‘em. Together, we saw some insane stuff. Explored ruins, found a couple Green Spots in the middle of nowhere, met some crazy people. Man, the things you can do at a rave with Infected bracelets… but that’s not the point.

“Every so often, we ran into Alex. She was working with a couple of other people to – well, fix things. She wanted us out of there. I didn’t really like it, because I had gotten used to being with my crew. As far as I know, they’ve moved around but still expect me to come back. Maybe I will.

“Why come here?” Tetsuya asked.

“Me and Tatsuya have some ancestry tracing back here, but it was more because I wanted to do something new. Don’t get me wrong, the Badlands were pretty okay, as long as you ignored the fact that we were living in a wasteland with a culture that found fucking a tree perfectly acceptable, but there was a difference to be made out here. Alex was already doing her part, and we figured, well, a few less mouths to feed might be useful to our group. So she gave us a route, told us who to talk to, and sent us on our way.”

“How do you like it here?”

“It’s alright. I like the Ouskirts – I never lived in a place with many trees, so all this is cool, I guess. But man, your ruling system is as fucked up as ours. An emperor to king-princes, and then nearly a straight drop to the bottom? Look, I’m not saying pre-apocalypse Badlands was great or anything, but at least our society enabled _some_ form of social movement. The only way to rise up in classes here is to become a knight or a whore. So it’s nice to be able to do something to stop that. Once we beat your stupid Generation, maybe you guys should consider a democracy.”

“Democracy?”

“It’s a governmental system.”

“Yes, I figured. Could you try to explain it please?”

And so, the journey continued with Kagami trying to explain the former politics of the Badlands, and when the two made camp for the night, Tetsuya went to sleep with a small smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello my lovely readers it's time for chapper twop
> 
> please let me know if there are any continuity errors! i'd be happy to fix them. this wasn't edited that much, unfortunately, because i... don't quite know where my new beta is. i'll try to find her by chapter three.
> 
> comments are so, so appreciated.

**Author's Note:**

> so i've had this idea floating around for a while and hopefully? i'll update it because god knows i'm terrible at that
> 
> also there was no beta reading involved because i just had to get this out
> 
> i hope my mischaracterization wasn't too bad because honestly i love knb and you should definitely expect more of that (plus other gay sports anime)
> 
> reviews keep me from starving!


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